Sleepwalkers Read Online Free PDF Page A

side, pats me on the shoulder.
    ‘Same as it ever was, Benny boy. Boss in the warm, workers out in the cold. How about a couple of jars?’
    *
    Sitting in the pub, listening to Jeff natter on about nothing and everything, I sink three pints. Partly, I guess, because I feel so rough and I want to dull all of my aches, but also because it gives me an excuse to get up and go to the bar every now and then – so I can get away from him. After three, my head’s all messed up. I’m a lousy lunchtime drinker, but I slide off the bench to order another anyway. My back aches despite the booze, and while I wait for the barmaid I stare down at my scratched hands.
    Rugby. I am too old.
    I look back at Jeff. He’s watching me. He smiles a leery grin.
    ‘Come on, girly, hurry up with those beers!’ he laughs his big, stupid laugh.
    How did I end up with a friend like this? I’m not like him, I don’t like him. But here I am. Did I choose him or did he choose me? I try to remember. Try to pull the data from my head. Try to imagine my brain as some sort of computer. But the beer’s in the way.
    Jeff’s started singing along to the tune from some advert on the TV. He’s doing it really loud, on purpose, and some people are staring at him. I’m embarrassed, but I’m also starting to laugh.
    The woman at the bar is struggling with the remote control. The batteries must be flat, so she bangs it against the counter. She pushes the buttons heavily and starts to flick through the channels. The TV gets stuck on the news and everyone in the pub groans.
    Jeff starts singing the same stupid song again, louder this time.
    I glance up at the telly. The image changes and now there’s a photo on the screen of a pretty young woman with dark hair. And something goes all jittery inside me. Next is a photo of a hotel somewhere. Looks posh. I don’t know the girl, don’t know the hotel, but I suddenly feel like I’m going to puke.
    Jeff’s at my side all of a sudden. ‘Alright, matey?’
    My breathing’s shallow, fast. The woman clumsily stamps on the buttons with her chubby fingers and finally finds the sports channel and everyone cheers. Jeff pats me on the back. I look up at the screen, as though that girl, that hotel might linger there. My heart is pounding. Who was that woman andwhy, why did she matter to me? I see, somewhere in my head, a white dressing gown, but I don’t know what this means. There’s a stack of newspapers at the far end of the bar and I need to see them.
    ‘Come on, buddy boy, we need to get back to the garage.’
    I ignore him, grab the papers, flick through them, looking for her. My scratched hands are clumsy and I can’t find what I’m looking for.
    ‘Ben, he’ll sack us both. Come on …’
    I can’t find anything, I look again, but then I see that there are pages missing. I chuck the paper down, look to the next one. And again, there are pages missing. Who did this? I look around the pub at the boozers, at the woman, but they seem so dull, there’s no way they’d …
    I look up at Jeff. He’s watching me. He comes over and puts a hand on my shoulder. I want to pin him to the bar.
    ‘Ben, what’s up?’
    I smile. I don’t know where I find it from.
    ‘It’s nothing, I just … déjà vu, I guess.’
    ‘Is that French?’
    ‘You are such an ignoramus.’
    ‘German?’
    I sigh, playing it all normal and such. ‘What time are you seeing your bird?’
    ‘Her shift starts at seven, so we’re hoping to have a tenminute hump in my car.’
    ‘You old romantic, you.’
    Jeff laughs. I see his face relax, but his eyes are trained on me. He’s been watching me all day. He’s always been doing this. I feel a little sick but I’m still holding it back. I need tobe careful now. It’s like I’ve been asleep for ages. Why haven’t I noticed this before?
    I pat him on the shoulder and we head out of the pub.
    ‘After you, matey,’ he says as we get to the door, jolly as ever. The liar.
    ‘No,